lloyd



No. 624,5!3. Patented May 9, I899. H. S. LLOYD.

BATTERY ELECTRODE 2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

No. 624,5l3. Patented May 9, I899.

. u. s. LLDYD.

BATTERY ELECTRODE.

, (Application filed Kay 19, 1897.} (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

:UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' HERBERT S. LLOYD, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE ELEoTRIo PowER DEVELOPMENT COMPANY.

BATTERY-ELECTRODE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 624,513, dated May 9,1899. Application filed May 19, 1897. Serial No. 637,224. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT S. LLOYD, a citizen of the United States,and aresident of the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Molds for Battery-Electrodes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture ofelectrodes for use in secondary or storage batteries, and has for itsobject toprovide an improved form of mold by which the series of bars orstrips of which the electrode is composed may be united to aholding-frame, as more fully set forth hereinafter. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a moldconstructed in accordance with my invention, the sections of the moldbeing opened and a series of strips being illustrated in position in themold in readiness to receive the metal which constitutes thesupporting-frame. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the moldon the line 2 2, Fig. 3, and illustrating the preferably-inclinedposition in which the mold is Supported when receiving the molten metal.Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the mold on the line 3 3,Fig. 2; and Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional perspective views, on anenlarged scale, to more clearly illustrate the construction of the moldand the manner in which the electrode strips are supported. Fig. 6 is adetail sectional View illustrating two rows of electrode-rods united tothe supporting-frame at their ends.

The electrodes which I manufacture are of the Plant type and are formedof a number of strips or rods of lead or an alloy of lead, which may bestraight or plaited, twisted or coiled in any suitable manner, thestrips or rods being slightly separated from each other in order topresent the greatest possible surface area to the action of theelectrolyte when in the battery. To support these strips and to providea good conductor for the electrical current, the ends of thestrips aresurrounded and embraced by molten metal, which when cold forms asupporting-frame integral with strips, the heat from the contact withthe molten metal melting the ends of the strips and forming afused'joint between the strips and frame.

Referring to the drawings, A A represent the two leaves or sections ofthe mold, each section being formed of a plate of iron or other suitablemetal and so arranged that they may be placed in proper relativepositions by guiding-pins a,projecting from one section,and ori- V ficesa, formed in the opposite section for the reception of such pins, orthey may be hinged together at one edge, if desired. In each plate isformed a channel or recess 1), extending around near the four sides ofthe plate and separated from the recessed central portion of the mold byribs or ridgesc c, the ribs 0 extending along two sides of the channeland being of a height equal to the full depth of the channel, and on theremaining two sides the chill ridges or ribs orare of a height slightlyless than the full depth of the channel. The shorter ribs 0 are adaptedto receive and to hold between them the electrode-strips which are to beunited to the supporting-frame. The mold illustrated in the drawings isdesigned for the man ufactu re of large electrodes, which require anadditional central supporting-bar, to provide for which I place at aboutthe center of" each mold two additional ribs 0, which form between thema central channel b of about the same area as the main channel I),previously described.

When the two sections of the mold are placed together, the faces of theribs 0 will bev in contactwith each other, while the faces of l the ribs0' will be separated by a space approximately equal to the thickness ofthe electrode-strips which are confinedbetween them. In practice,however, the space between the ribs is preferably a trifle less than thethickness of the strip, so that they will slightly compress andbind'upon the strips and pre-' vent any movement during the pouring ofthe molten metal.

In order to prevent the entrance of the molten metal between the shorterchilled ridges or ribs 0 to the depressed central portions of the mold,I place immediatelybehind each of such chill ridges or ribs a layer orstrip cl of a non-inflammable compressible materialsuch, for instance,as asbestos. The thickness of the layers or strips is such that whencompressed by the tightening of the sections of the mold they willclosely embrace the leaden electrode-strips and form a tight jointthrough which the molten metal cannot flow, or where there are two ormore superimposed layers of electrode-rods to be united to the samesupporting-frame a series of separate strips of asbestos is placedbetween such layers.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated a series of strips x, plaited or twistedtogether and mutually supporting each other, while at the same time theyare sufiiciently separated to permit free access of the electrolyte tonearly all the surface of each strip. In practice a series of theseplaited strips are laid side by side on one of the sections of the moldin such manner that their ends will project beyond the chill-ridges 0'into the spaces formed by the channels Z), and when the top section ofthe mold has been placed in position the adjacent chill-ridges 0 willslightly compress the electrode-strips, flattening them to such anextent that they will be spread laterally and at this point will benearly or quite in contact with each other and practically close andfill the entire area between the chill-ridges, thus in a measurespreventing the flowing of the molten metal into the central portion ofthe mold. The compression of the layers of asbestos is such that theelectrode-strips are almost entirely surrounded, absolutely preventingthe entrance of the molten metal and also acting to protect the stripsfrom the heat and so avoid any danger of the melting of the strips at apoint within the chill-ridges.

In some instances where it is desired to separate the electrode-stripsto such a distance as would increase the danger of the flowing of moltenmetal past the chill-ridges I may place between each two strips a smallblock d of asbestos or similar material, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

Where the electrode-stri p is fiat rather than round in cross-section,the chill-ridges c tightly compress the soft metal. In such cases thelower layer of asbestos d may be dispensed with and the strips (1 onlybe employed to prevent the flow of metal between the electrode-strips.being presented, a tight joint may be practically effected between theedges of the chillridges and the soft metal.

In each of the mold-sections A A, I provide a series of openings (L asillustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, for allowing'the escape of any gases thatmay arise during the process of casting, and thereby avoiding all dangerof explosions, which might damage or blow apart the moldsections.

A large surface. of soft metal.

For convenience in pouring, the mold is preferably supported at about anangle of forty-five degrees, as illustrated in Fig. 2, so that as themolten metal descends the air within the channels can escape past themetal, and so avoid any danger of blow-holes or spaces in the frame whenfinished.

With a mold constructed in accordance with my invention the casting ofthe frame may be accomplished expeditiously and at a very mod 1 eratecost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in an electrode-mold,

of clamping chill-ridges provided upon the oppositely-disposed sectionsregistering with each other for supporting and binding theelectrode-strips, and strips of non-inflammable compressible materialprovided within the line of the chill-ridges in contact therewith toprevent leakage of the hot metal into the interior of the body of themold, substantially as described.

2. The combination in an electrode-mold, of the recessed mold-sections,clamping ribs or ridges formed on the meeting faces of said mold-sections registering with each other and of a height less than thedepth of the recess, adapted to clamp and bind the electrode-stripsbetween them, and strips or layers of non-inflammable compressiblematerial arrangedagainst and behind such ridges, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination in a mold, of the recessed mold-sections, side ribs,a, forming one wall of the frame-forming channel,chill ridges or ribs,0', of a height less than the depth of such channel, and layers orstrips of a noninflammable compressible material situated within therecessed portion of the mold at a point to the rear of the ribs, a,substantially as specified.

4. An electrode-mold comprising the moldsections, A, A, provided withrectangular recesses, side ribs, 0, of a height equal to the depth ofthe recess, and forming the side walls of the frame-formin g channel,chill-ridges, c, of a height less than'the depth of the recess, formingthe top and bottom walls of the frameforming channel, and the walls ofan intermediate channel, Z), and layers or strips of a non-inflammablecompressible material located within the recessed portion of the mold ata point adjacent the ribs, 0, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my

